General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Why is DU's popularity waning? (Title edited, explanation within.) [View all]LittleBlue
(10,362 posts)Any time people disagree anymore, it doesn't result in an argument but a flurry of jury abuse. Example: Most recently, I saw alerts on just about every dissenting opinion on the Brown shooting. These were not necessarily trollish or offensive statements.
Notice how many threads during that time didn't get above 10 posts. The main page of General died in the last few weeks.
People are leaving because orthodoxy enforcement is approaching freeperville levels. Not just being shouted down and called names, but jury-based enforcement.
Reddit, for instance, ranks popular opinions by likes. But it isn't obsessive like DU in silencing dissenting opinions. That's why it continues to grow as we continue to shrink. We chase off new members practically the moment they arrive. We chased off good members because they disagreed in a few areas. This model will never survive. Hence the Discussionist.